1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data processing apparatus which can transmit a printing job to an image recording apparatus having plural holding units for holding sheets (or paper) on which images are formed or to an image recording apparatus to which an option apparatus having plural holding units can be connected, and an image recording apparatus, a method for controlling a data processing apparatus, a method for controlling an image recording apparatus, and a storage medium.
2. Related Background Art
In recent years, computers are connected to each other by a LAN (local area network), and LAN connection is possible not only for printers but also for various peripheral apparatuses such as a multifunctional image processing apparatus and the like equipped with copying and facsimile functions.
In a conventional image recording apparatus, various sheet discharge methods such as mailbox sheet discharge, job separate sheet discharge, sort sheet discharge and stack sheet discharge are being proposed in a network environment connected to a LAN, an environment to which a sheet discharge option unit having plural holding units is connected, or a case where the body of the image recording apparatus has plural holding units.
The mailbox sheet discharge and the job separate sheet discharge are the sort methods in which a peculiar name is set for each of the holding units provided in the image recording apparatus, and the holding unit is distinguished and a sheet discharge address (or a sheet discharge destination) is determined on the basis of such the set name.
The difference between the mailbox sheet discharge and the job separate sheet discharge is as follows. Namely, in the mailbox sheet discharge, the distinguished name previously registered for each holding unit of the image recording apparatus is designated as the sheet discharge address when printing is performed, whereby it is possible to designated the sheet discharge address with a name easily distinguishable by a user. On the other hand, in the job separate sheet discharge, a user name being a printing designation origin is automatically registered to a holding unit on which any sheet is not stacked yet while printing is being performed, and the holding unit registered in the first-time printing is retrieved if the printing designation is again issued by the same user, and the sheet is discharged to the retrieved holding unit. Thus, even if the apparent sheet discharge address is not designated by the user in the printing, it is possible to appropriately sort a printing job for each user.
Further, the sort sheet discharge is the sheet discharge method in which copies of a printing job are sorted to holding units whose number corresponds to the designated copies, by using the plural continuous holding units. The stack sheet discharge is the sheet discharge method in which copies of a printing job keep being discharged to an identical holding unit until this holding unit becomes full of the sheets, and when this holding unit is full of the sheets the holding unit is changed to a next-priority holding unit and similar sheet discharge is performed to this changed holding unit.
Hereinafter, a mailbox sheet discharge mode in such various sheet discharge modes as above will be especially explained with reference to FIGS. 33, 34 and 35.
FIG. 33 is a diagram for explaining the concept of the sort of the printing job in the mailbox sheet discharge mode.
In FIG. 33, the image recording apparatus is connected to a network shared by plural users and used in the mailbox sheet discharge mode.
When a user A is the manager who manages the setting and the like for the image recording apparatus, this user A registers, as mailbox addresses, names easily recognizable by the user such as “first personnel department”, “second personnel department”, “third personnel department”, “first secretary department”, “second secretary department”, “third secretary department” and “administration department” respectively for the holding units (bins 1 to 7), on a user interface (UI) shown in later-described FIG. 34.
When each holding unit of the image recording apparatus is registered with a post name, one bin acts as the mailbox shared by the plural users belonging to the post registered for this bin. Thus, in order to be able to distribute an identical text in the number corresponding to the number of belonging users, the number of group members (i.e., belonging users) can be registered for each holding unit.
By previously registering the number of group members, when the printing is performed, the copies in the number of group members can be distributed to the registration-target bin on the basis of the name of the distribution address.
In the state that the image recording apparatus is used in the mailbox sheet discharge mode, for example, when a data output address (or a data output destination) is designated on a screen as shown in later-described FIG. 35 and the printing is then performed, the printing (i.e., the copy) designated by the user A is discharged to the “bin 7” registered with the name “administration department” as shown in FIG. 33.
As described above, in the mailbox sheet discharge mode, for the printing job in which the sheet discharge address is designated based on the holding unit name, the holding unit whose name coincident with the designated holding unit name has been previously registered is retrieved and the sheet discharge is then performed through the retrieved holding unit. Thus, it is thought to exclusively control the holding units for the plural users who share the network.
FIG. 34 is a diagram schematically showing an example of a holding unit name registration screen for the image recording apparatus. FIG. 34 is corresponding to an UI screen on which a driver on a host computer registers a name for each holding unit of the image recording apparatus so as to use the image recording apparatus in the mailbox sheet discharge mode.
In FIG. 34, numeral 501 denotes fixed holding unit display area. For example, in this area, the fixed holding units such as “bin 1”, “bin 2”, “bin 3”, . . . , and “bin 7” previously registered in the memory of the image recording apparatus and captured by the host computer of the user A are displayed.
Numeral 502 denotes a holding unit name registration area. The holding unit names (a user name, a group name, a post name, and the like: discrimination information representing an owner using the holding unit) such as “first personnel department”, “second personnel department”, “third personnel department”, “first secretary department”, “second secretary department”, “third secretary department” and “administration department” respectively corresponding to the fixed holding units (“bin 1”, “bin 2”, “bin 3”, and “bin 7”) of the image recording apparatus displayed in the fixed holding unit display area 501 and easily recognizable by the user as mailbox addresses (or mailbox destinations) can be input by using a not-shown keyboard of the host computer or selected from among the plural holding unit names previously stored in a not-shown ROM or another recording medium, and the obtained holding unit names can be then registered in the holding unit name registration area 502.
Further, as shown in FIG. 34, when the holding unit of the printer is registered based on the post name, one bin acts as the mailbox shared by the plural users belonging to the post registered for this bin. Thus, in order to be able to distribute an identical text in the number corresponding to the number of belonging users, the number of group members (i.e., belonging users) can be registered for each holding unit.
Numeral 503 denotes a group member number registration area. The number of members (users) belonging to the group registered in the holding unit name registration area 502 can be input by the keyboard (not-shown) of the host computer, and the obtained number of members can be then registered in the group member number registration area 503.
As described above, in the printing, since the number of members belonging to the group is previously registered, the copies the number of which corresponds to the number of the belonging members of this group can be automatically distributed to the registered corresponding bin by only designating the name of the distribution address.
Numeral 504 denotes an OK key. By indicating the OK key 504 with a not-shown pointing device of the host computer, actual registration of the content on the holding unit name registration screen is validated, and this screen ends. Numeral 505 denotes a cancel key. By indicating the cancel key 505 with a not-shown pointing device of the host computer, the registration of the content on the holding unit name registration screen is invalidated, and this screen ends.
As the name registered in the mailbox sheet discharge as the holding unit name, i.e., as the name registered in the holding unit name registration area 502, in addition to such the post names as shown in FIG. 34, discrimination information representing owners (e.g., user names, group names or the like) who use the holding units is efficient.
Hereinafter, the UI of a printer driver for designating the mailbox sheet discharge will be explained with reference to FIG. 35.
FIG. 35 is a diagram schematically showing an example of a distribution address designation screen for designating the distribution of the mailbox sheet discharge. The distribution address designation screen is displayed on a display unit of the host computer by the printer driver on the host computer.
In FIG. 35, numeral 602 denotes a distribution address display area in which all the distribution addresses are displayed by the holding unit names registered on the holding unit name registration screen shown in FIG. 34. Numeral 601 denotes distribution designation check boxes. By pointing the check box with the not-shown pointing device of the host computer, it is possible to designate whether there is a distribution or not can be indicated to each distribution address displayed in the distribution address display area 602.
Numeral 603 denotes a number of distribution copies input area. By inputting the number in this input area with a not-shown keyboard of the host computer, the input number of texts (or documents) can be distributed to the distribution addresses to which distribution is instructed by the distribution designation check box 601. Numeral 604 denotes a distribution for all members designation check box. By pointing this check box with the not-shown pointing device of the host computer, the number of texts for the number of group members of each distribution address (the number of group members registered in the number of group members registering area 503 shown in FIG. 34) can be distributed to the distribution addresses to which the distribution is instructed in the distribution designation check box 601.
Further, when the distribution for all members designation check box 604 is checked, the designation in the number of distribution input area 603 is invalidated.
Numeral 605 denotes an OK key. By pointing this key with the not-shown pointing device of the host computer, the designation of the mailbox sheet discharge designation screen is validated, and this screen ends. Numeral 606 denotes a cancel key. By pointing this key with the not-shown pointing device of the host computer, the designation of the mailbox sheet discharge designation screen is invalidated, and this screen ends.
However, in the abovementioned mailbox sheet discharge mode, there is a possibility that the following problems occur.
For example, when the holding unit names are registered as the post names such as “first personnel department”, “second personnel department”, and “third personnel department” as shown in FIG. 34 and used as shown in FIG. 33, it is assumed that a user B has the request that it wants to distribute the printing job to one specific user X of “first personnel department”.
At this time, the user B designates the distribution address to be “first personnel department” and the number of copy to be “1” in such the designation manner as shown in FIG. 35, and then performs the printing. In order to surely pass the copy (printing job) to the user X, it is thought that the user B needs work of reporting to the user X the distribution of the copy to the holding unit of “first personnel department” after the printing process such that other users in “first personnel department” do not remove the distributed and discharged copy.
However, when the copy is often distributed only to the specific user, it is inconvenient for the user B to contact the specific user at each printing. Thus, there is some fear that the operation in the mailbox sheet discharge mode becomes inconvenient oppositely.
On the other hand, when the user name is used as the name to be registered as the holding unit name in the mailbox sheet discharge mode, it is assumed that a user C has the request that it wants to distribute the printing job to all the users of “first personnel department”.
At this time, the user C must designate the names of all the users of “first personnel department” as the distribution addresses, whereby it is inconvenient for the user C if it is necessary to frequently perform such a designation operation. Thus, there is some fear that the operation in the mailbox sheet discharge mode becomes inconvenient oppositely.
As described above, in the form of merely allocating the owner to the bin beforehand and then, at the printing, designating the owner's name of the usable bin to discharge the copy to the designated bin, it is impossible to flexibly deal with the various requests from each user. Thus, in order to fill the request, it depends on the operation by the operator who issued the request, whereby there is a possibility that the load inconveniently rests upon the user.
Further, if the holding unit name which has been registered for the corresponding holding unit according to user's favor can be changed by everyone, there is some fear that the exclusive control of the holding unit which is the essential purpose of the mailbox is stultified.